Phillies icon Shane Victorino drops 4-word reaction to Kirby Yates' $13,000,000 Dodgers move

Former Texas Rangers pitcher Kirby Yates is headed to Los Angeles after signing a one-year, $13 million deal with the Dodgers on Thursday. As the team continues to build a powerhouse bullpen for the 2025 season, the move has drawn plenty of attention. Among those reacting to the signing was Philadelphia Phillies legend Shane Victorino who weighed in on the Dodgers’ recent addition.

Ashna Goaka of Hawaii News Now shared a segment on Instagram covering the signing of Kauai native Yates to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The report also featured an interview with Yates where he shared his thoughts on joining the Dodgers for the 2025 season.

"I kind of always say it's like nothing's ever really easy if it's worth it, right? Like if you're going to work for it, it's not really easy. You just got to go out there and do it. It's just work. You just got to put your head down and do it," Yates said.

"I've sustained success and I've also been heard. I've come back from that twice now. And, you know, I think as I've kind of been through the wringer, I kind of know what to expect on everything. And I think sitting here now at, you know, 37 years old, that's kind of the biggest thing, the experience and how to deal with everything on a daily basis," he added.

Former Phillies icon and Yates' fellow Hawaii native Shane Victorino congratulated the 37-year-old in the comments section of the Instagram post.

"@kirbskauai right on, Keep'um going," Victorino commented.

Shane Victorino's Instagram comment. Source - Instagram/@shanevictorino

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Dodgers general manager brands Kirby Yates as a great asset

Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said that signing Kirby Yates was a great decision for the upcoming season. Yates started as a journeyman reliever at the beginning of his career.

At 30 years old, Kirby Yates made a pivotal decision to reinvent himself, refining his game during his time with the San Diego Padres by mastering his devastating splitter. As Dodgers GM Gomes highlighted, this transformation could prove to be a major asset for Los Angeles moving forward.

"You're also getting the definition of a grinder and a great teammate with Kirby," he said. "He's overcome long odds from being a non-drafted free agent [out of college]. He's persevered through injury and emerged on the other side of that as one of the game's best relievers."

Last season, Kirby Yates had a .145 batting average and recorded a 35.9% strikeout rate. He would be expected to maintain the same momentum in 2025 as well.